I’m all the way here for the “-ber” months. September, October, November, December. Bring on the changing leaves and sweater weather, soup in the crockpot and curling up with a cozy blanket and a good book. I love absolutely everything about it—other than how very, very true it is that it will soon be very, very dark in Birmingham at the very, very absurd nighttime hour of 4:58pm.
I’ve noticed, though, that along with the general sense of Christmas cheer as we get closer to the holidays, there’s an underlying level of stress that seems to creep into social media captions and in-person conversations. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but for many of us, it’s one of the busiest stretches of the year. Regular life keeps on keeping on, but there are suddenly all these extras thrown in. Good extras, most times, but extras all the same.
Thursday Things returned last week with round-up #134, and when I opened my inbox the next morning, there were private messages in response to the more personal note at the top . . . every single one said a resounding “Thank you, I feel that way too.” I sat with the messages over the weekend and then asked “Are you already feeling really overwhelmed/stressed—before the holiday season even arrives?” over on the private Instagram account for paid email subscribers.
86% said yes.
Eighty-six percent.
Nearly… all of us.
And so with no further ado, because our calendars are full and our plates are overflowing—and if we’re going to add in another ‘to do’ or ‘to read’ or ‘to listen’, it needs to be actually helpful, full of practical practices that bring peace in the midst of all the things1—the next book club pick is in direct response to your emails and your “me too” messages, words to help as we navigate the overwhelm…
Our October Book: Stronger Than Stress by Barb Roose
📘 Book description:
Everyone experiences seasons of stress, but you are not condemned to a lifetime of anxiety. Stronger than Stress unveils 10 spiritual practices for combating chronic stress, burnout, and overwhelm no matter what life throws at you. With Barb Roose’s expert help, you’ll
Learn the four main stress triggers that push you toward the breaking point and how to anticipate them
Discover exercises to help you interrupt your fight-or-flight stress response
Study the apostle Paul’s life and teachings as he models how to deal with daily overwhelm and leverage it as an opportunity to find strength in God
Win the battle of overwhelm by utilizing spiritual practices as Jesus-centered, grace-based tools
Wake up each day with confidence that you can live at peace and in wholeness even though you may be experiencing difficult or stressful circumstances
If you want less stress and more peace, let this practical book be your guide.
In late October, Barb will join myself and all paid email subscribers for a live Zoom book club call.
If you’d like to be there (and/or receive the replay), upgrade your subscription below!
(You can absolutely join All The Things for a month, be part of the call, and then go back to free! While I’m so thankful for the financial support of my writing, oof I get it—budgets are real.)
If you’re wondering what’s included in All The Things?
Digital prints and lock screens
Access to the private All The Things Instagram account
Book club author chats on Zoom throughout the year
Gifts in the mail throughout the year
First-word news about writing/life updates (A recent example: In August, I publicly shared that I moved and bought a house… but paid subscribers have known about and received house news/updates/feelings (lol but also #reallife) almost every week since… March.)
The Holy Week and Advent series
Extra posts and giveaways
It’s less than the cost of a print on Etsy, but hopefully much more through all the extras beyond the digital prints that I create and send! Thank you for supporting my writing! 💛
If being part of All The Things isn’t a great fit for you in this season, no worries, you’ll still receive all free emails from me. But I wanted to send the news about our next book club pick to everyone—whether we read the book together and chat on Zoom in October, or you pick it up and slowly go through the pages on your own—because from your email replies last week, it’s clear that many (most) of us are feeling overwhelmed and stressed. If you’re being pulled in lots of directions, even if the to-do’s are all good things, this book is one to add to your list.
And I know—
Trust me, I know—
We don’t need one more thing added to the long and growing ever longer list—unless it’s actually going to help.
I think this book will.
📚 Book links:
Here are a few quick links for ordering, but don’t forget to check your library or local bookstore!
Amazon paperback (currently 28% off)
Amazon ebook (currently 32% off)
ChristianBook (currently 10% off)
P.S. If you enjoy the book and want to do a deeper dive, Barb has written a corresponding 6-week Bible Study. (It’s currently 43% off at ChristianBook.)